Phoenix Coyoteshttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/257/all
en"The Logo Project"http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/logo-project
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A Compilation of the Illustrated NHL </div>
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<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
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<p class="MsoNormal">This probably won&rsquo;t come as much of a surprise, but we tend to get a lot of drawings of team logos, primarily from the NHL, (though other leagues and their teams tend to make frequent appearances as well). Not long ago, however, it occurred to us that we&rsquo;d probably gotten at least one from (almost) every team in the NHL. And so we decided to make a project of it. Hence, &ldquo;The Logo Project.&rdquo; Enjoy!</p>
<p><object id="soundslider" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="500" height="500"><param name="movie" value="http://usahockey.cachefly.net/MagazineVideos/OnlineExclusive/LogoProject/publish_to_web/publish_to_web/soundslider.swf?size=1&amp;format=xml&amp;embed_width=500&amp;embed_height=500" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" height="500" src="http://usahockey.cachefly.net/MagazineVideos/OnlineExclusive/LogoProject/publish_to_web/publish_to_web/soundslider.swf?size=1&amp;format=xml&amp;embed_width=500&amp;embed_height=500" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" menu="false" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Any favorites? Let us know in the comments!</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/logo-project#commentsBoston BruinsBuffalo SabresNational Hockey LeagueNew York RangersNHLPhoenix CoyotesOnline Bonus ContentTue, 14 Feb 2012 18:55:44 +0000jordanphickey6464 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comPlaying with Foodhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/blogpost/jordanphickey/playing-food
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<p>When we were growing up, gelatin was formed into blue and red stars, wobbled in our shaking hands and stained our palms with its food-color-ly goodness. It never occurred to us to do much else with it. Because it&rsquo;s (basically) food and &mdash; as any mother will instruct you, ours included, prompted or not &mdash; food is not to be played with. Unless you are<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62986960@N05/6120681996/in/set-72157626745911160/"> this guy</a>. In which case, we&rsquo;d encourage it:</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/blogpost/jordanphickey/playing-food" target="_blank">read more</a></p>http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/blogpost/jordanphickey/playing-food#commentsArtCalgary FlamesfoodlogosPhoenix CoyotesWinnepeg JetsTue, 18 Oct 2011 14:09:58 +0000jordanphickey5634 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comKeith Yandlehttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-08/keith-yandle
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Yandle Handling Life In The NHL Limelight </div>
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<a href="/author/jessi-pierce">Jessi Pierce</a> </div>
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<p>Nestled in the heart of the Arizona desert sits a patch of ice that is home to the Phoenix Coyotes.</p>
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<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller">Keith Yandle | #3<br /></h3>
<h3 class="feature_headline_smaller"><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/first-liners-Yandle-mug.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="200" height="200" /></span><br /></h3>
<p class="textlinkblack"><strong>Position:</strong> Defense<br /><strong>Shoots:</strong> Left<br /><strong>Height: </strong>6-foot-1 Weight: 195 pounds <br /><strong>Birthdate: </strong>Sept. 9, 1986<br /><strong>Hometown:</strong> Boston<br /><strong>USA Hockey History:&nbsp;</strong> Played in all six games of the 2010 IIHF World Championship as a member of the U.S. National Team. Notched four points, with one goal and three assists.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>In recent years the bloom seems to have disappeared from the desert rose as the Coyotes have teetered on the brink of packing their tent and heading out of town. </p>
<p>While the hockey world ponders the fate of the franchise, one member of the Coyotes who has a bright future ahead of him is Keith Yandle.</p>
<p>Growing up in the northeast, Yandle admits that it&rsquo;s taken time to grow accustomed to playing hockey in the sweltering heat, but judging by the success of his team in recent years, it won&rsquo;t be long until Phoenix silences the calls to move the franchise to colder climes.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s obviously a bit different playing here [in Phoenix],&rdquo; said the Boston native. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Since I got with the team I have noticed the crowds growing and more people are coming out to see us, and it seems to get a bit better every year. Hopefully that continues to grow as we continue to grow and improve each season.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yandle&rsquo;s play last season was enough to draw the attention of even the casual hockey fan, both at home and around the league. His offensive output was a big key to the team&rsquo;s success. Yandle finished second to team captain Shane Doan in points with 59, and only Lubomir Visnovsky and Nicklas Lidstrom had more points among NHL defensemen. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I have more confidence in myself and in my game, and now the guys have more confidence in me, too,&rdquo; Yandle said. &ldquo;I just try and play my game the best I can and of course a lot of credit goes to my teammates. Everyone does such a good job that it makes my job a little bit easier.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yandle has proven he is comfortable in any situation, whether it&rsquo;s in front of 8,000 or 80,000 fans. A member of the 2010 U.S. National Team, he played in front of a world record crowd of 77,803 in an upset loss to host Germany at the IIHF World Championships last April. </p>
<p>&ldquo;It was great, and it was an honor to be picked for that team,&rdquo; said Yandle, who tallied four points in the tournament. </p>
<p>&ldquo;To be able to go over and play in front of some 77,000 people was amazing. You kind of felt what it was like for some of those soccer players over there with such an intense crazy crowd. </p>
<p>&ldquo;The record was broken with the Michigan-Michigan State [Big Chill] game this year but to still have held a record attendance like that for a little while is something I won&rsquo;t forget.&rdquo;</p>
<p>A product of Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, Yandle&rsquo;s point production skyrocketed during his sole year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where his 84 points not only led the Wildcats to the championship, but also earned him Best Defenseman of the Year.</p>
<p>&ldquo;To have earned that was such an honor, and it was such a fun season with that team,&rdquo; said Yandle, who signed with the Coyotes the next year for the 2006-07 season. &ldquo;But to jump from there [the QMJHL] to the NHL, plenty of adjustments had to be made.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Yandle split time between San Antonio and Phoenix from 2006-08 as he worked to refine the defensive side of his game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;In the NHL you can&rsquo;t be all offense, you have to play good defense to get on the offensive side of the puck,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s more about managing your game and keeping it simple.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And with the Coyotes becoming a consistent force in the Western Conference, Yandle&rsquo;s exposure under the desert sun will only continue.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Last year making it to the playoffs, playing at home against a team like Detroit was unreal and really helped showcase what we have here to the people in Phoenix,&rdquo; Yandle said. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I think they are starting to recognize that they have a good team here, and it&rsquo;s good entertainment and the more people that come, the better we play. Once you make it to the playoffs, you just want to get back there, and we have every intention of doing just that.&rdquo;</p>
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<h2><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Youth-Star-0811.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="216" height="273" /></span>Youth Star</h2>
<p><strong>Danny Bears</strong><br />Age: 11<br />Hometown: Londonderry, N.H.</p>
<p>There&rsquo;s an expression in hockey that attitude determines altitude. If that&rsquo;s the case, Danny Bears is destined to reach great heights. At 4-foot-5 and 65 pounds, Danny stands tall on the back end of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Peewee Major Elites defensive corps. Fearless and ferocious, Danny&rsquo;s leadership is always evident, especially when his team is behind at a crucial point in a game. His impact in the locker room and on the ice may not always show up on the score sheet, but Danny&rsquo;s contributions have always been vital to his team&rsquo;s success.</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-08/keith-yandle#commentsIIHF World ChampionshipKeith YandlePhoenix CoyotesFirst LinersThu, 28 Jul 2011 18:34:07 +0000admin5256 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comDavid Spina: Arizona’s Favorite Rink Rat On NHL Fast Trackhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-03/david-spina-arizona%E2%80%99s-favorite-rink-rat-nhl-fast-track
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<p>How serious is Arizona native David Spina about hockey? Here&rsquo;s a true story:</p>
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<p><a href="http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-03/coyote-crossing">Arizona fans make a resurgence for their Coyotes</a></p>
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<p>Spina was already an avid skater by the time he was 8 and his parents moved the family from Seattle to suburban Phoenix. While searching for a house, the Spinas took out a map, noted the location of Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe (one of just two ice sheets in greater Phoenix at the time), and then used a ruler to determine which potential home was closest to the rink before buying.</p>
<p>Learning and growing in the game as one of Arizona&rsquo;s early rink rats, Spina would watch the Los Angeles Kings and catch NHL games on ESPN2, but everything changed when he turned 12 and the Coyotes arrived.</p>
<p>&ldquo;That had a huge impact on me and on hockey here,&rdquo; said Spina, who currently plays in the Coyotes minor league system, working to recover from a preseason injury, and eagerly anticipating his opportunity to become the first Arizonan to skate for the hometown team. </p>
<p>&ldquo;For the first time, we got to go to NHL games in person and dream of being Jeremy Roenick and wait for autographs afterward.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Following his hockey dreams, Spina played for the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., where then-coach Mike Eaves (now coaching the University of Wisconsin) was immediately impressed by Spina&rsquo;s puck-handling ability, and interested by the words &ldquo;Mesa, Arizona&rdquo; in the space where Spina listed his hometown.</p>
<p>Spina&rsquo;s friendship with Eaves&rsquo; sons, Ben and Patrick, factored into his decision to follow the brothers to Boston College, where he was an important member of the Eagles for four years and played in the 2004 Frozen Four. </p>
<p>As a professional, Spina bounced between minor league stops in Utah, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Massachusetts before signing a free agent contract with the Coyotes in 2008. Last season he led the San Antonio Rampage &ndash; the Coyotes&rsquo; top farm team &ndash; offensively and played three preseason games for Phoenix this fall before being sidelined with a torn muscle in his arm.</p>
<p>True to his missionary-like zeal for growing the game in his home state, Spina spent part of his down time hanging at the neighborhood rinks in the Phoenix suburbs, getting some ice time and working with kids, trying to be the role model for the next generation of Arizona hockey stars.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I know some kids here look up to me, and it&rsquo;s great for me to get out there and spend time with them, pushing them to get better, just like they push me to get healthy,&rdquo; Spina said. </p>
<p>&ldquo;I try to be that guy that&rsquo;s made it, and give them proof that coming from Arizona, it can be done.&rdquo;</p>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-03/david-spina-arizona%E2%80%99s-favorite-rink-rat-nhl-fast-track#commentsArizonaDavid SpinaPhoenix CoyotesFeatureWed, 10 Mar 2010 21:47:59 +0000admin2303 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comCoyote Crossinghttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-03/coyote-crossing
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Arizona’s Amateur Hockey Community Is Not Ready To Let Go Of Its Beloved NHL Team Without A Fight </div>
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<p>Perhaps it would be too simplistic and clich&eacute; to say that prior to 1996, Arizona was a desert when it came to hockey. In fact, it would not be entirely&nbsp; true. Along with the cactus, mountains, canyons and ancient Navajo ruins, there&rsquo;s been hockey in some form or another in Arizona for decades.</p>
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<p>David Spina gains momentum in Arizona</p>
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<p>Those who have been around for years remember the days when greater Phoenix &ndash; a sprawling, rapidly-expanding metropolitan area of more than four million people &ndash; had just two sheets of indoor ice. (It probably goes without saying that in a place where summer temperatures of 115 degrees or more are not uncommon, there were no outdoor ice sheets to be found.)</p>
<p>But that was before the NHL came to town. That was before those days in the red-hot summer of &rsquo;96 when the Winnipeg Jets franchise was loaded into moving trucks and set a course on a southwesterly heading for the Valley of the Sun. And everything changed, in a hurry.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When the Coyotes got here, there were limited options and there was a waiting list just to get into the sport,&rdquo; said Bob Strong, director of the Sonoran Youth Hockey League, which encompasses more than 50 teams throughout Arizona. &ldquo;There was not enough ice to accommodate the number of kids wanting to play. We went from two single-sheet facilities to eight sheets of ice over the course of four or five years.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The Jets set up shop in downtown Phoenix, re-branded themselves the Coyotes and got to work making this desert boomtown a hockey boomtown. They were a hit right from the start, despite playing in a building designed for basketball, where you couldn&rsquo;t see one net from hundreds of seats. </p>
<p>Led by stars like Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, the team made four straight trips to the NHL playoffs, where opponents were greeted by eerie &ldquo;whiteout&rdquo; crowds of 16,000 screaming Coyotes fans clad in white. It was quite a sight.</p>
<p>But if you believe the naysayers you heard from last summer, when there was a big push (in some circles) to move the Coyotes back to Canada, it didn&rsquo;t work, right?</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s just no interest in hockey in Arizona,&rdquo; seemed to be the common refrain among a certain noisy but less-informed crowd. Not so, say those in the know about Arizona hockey.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/Coyotes-Fans-2.jpg" alt="After a tumultuous offseason, the Coyotes are packing in the fans this season." title="After a tumultuous offseason, the Coyotes are packing in the fans this season." class="image image-_original " width="270" height="386" /><span class="caption" style="width: 268px;">After a tumultuous offseason, the Coyotes are packing in the fans this season.</span></span></strong>&ldquo;The kids here that do play the game are just as hard-core as anywhere else in the country,&rdquo; said Scott Storkan, the Coyotes director of hockey development. &ldquo;The elite travel hockey players here are just as talented as the best of the best that you&rsquo;d find in Minnesota or Michigan or Massachusetts. At the very top, there&rsquo;s not a huge difference in the talent level.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now in his fourth season with the Coyotes, Storkan is the man charged with acting as a liaison between the NHL team and the amateur hockey community in the state. It&rsquo;s a relationship you can see everywhere on a visit to the Coyotes palatial suburban home rink, Jobing.com Arena. There are sweaters from amateur teams like the Flagstaff North Stars, Prescott Storm and Tucson&rsquo;s popular University of Arizona Icecats club are on display in the concourse. And from the moment you walk in the door, you are greeted by the kids in their hockey sweaters selling 50/50 tickets to raise money for their local programs.</p>
<p>During a home game versus the Wild in early December, Mitchell Lyon, 16, worked the upper concourse with his mother, Audra, selling tickets for the nightly raffle, which they expected would net between $1,500 to $2,000 for his hockey team, the Roadrunners, based in nearby Peoria.</p>
<p>The attendance level for the Coyotes took a nosedive early in the 2009-10 season, hurt in large part by the uncertainty lurking due to ownership turmoil and relocation rumors. On this particular night, a paid audience of nearly 10,000 would be announced for a shutout win by the home team, while Lyon and his teammates would take home a nice check for their fund-raising efforts.</p>
<p>In an area dominated by baseball, basketball and football, the long-term survival of the Coyotes in the desert is closely tied to the growth of youth hockey throughout the Southwest.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll always have hockey here, but it would be harder to draw new players without the Coyotes,&rdquo; said Lyon. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re a big influence on hockey in the state, and they help get rid of that perception that there&rsquo;s no hockey in the desert.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Down in the Coyotes locker room after the game, team members celebrated a gritty win and talked about doing the best thing that they can to help grow hockey in Phoenix and throughout Arizona. For a team that hasn&rsquo;t made a playoff appearance since 2002, the answer lies in scoring more goals than the other team on a more consistent basis.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the fans that we have are very, very loyal,&rdquo; said Coyotes forward Peter Mueller. &ldquo;If any team wins, fans are going to come, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re doing right now. We&rsquo;re starting to see more and more fans coming through the door, and as players we thrive on that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>And he sees a direct correlation between more fans in the stands and more kids taking strides on ice for the first time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the desert, and it&rsquo;s obviously not the number one sport that people here grow up playing,&rdquo; said Mueller, an alumnus of the National Team Development Program. &ldquo;But you look around the communities and hockey is growing as we speak, so it&rsquo;s good to see the development of hockey in Arizona.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Storkan and the Coyotes play a big role in that development via their Kids First Hockey program. Working with USA Hockey and the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association, they purchased $50,000 worth of hockey gear that kids between ages 4 and 8 can use, free of charge, while getting a month of complimentary ice time to try hockey for the first time.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great program because it lets you put a ton of kids through hockey, get them on the ice and then from there they can go where they want to,&rdquo; said Storkan, noting that 1,500 Arizona children took their first strides on an ice sheet in 2009 thanks to Kids First Hockey. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Some might just be interested in skating, which is beneficial for the rinks and their open skating programs. If they&rsquo;re interested in hockey that benefits all of us.&rdquo;</p>
<p>After a decade-long boom in participation levels, the number of kids playing hockey in Arizona has leveled off a bit, but Strong said that&rsquo;s due in large part to the fact that, like back in 1996, there are waiting lists of kids wanting to try the sport, and there is only so much ice time to go around. Those waiting lists come from successful efforts like his, and those of the Coyotes, to grow the game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The Coyotes do a tremendous job of promoting youth hockey,&rdquo; Strong said. &ldquo;The organization is really committed to youth hockey in Arizona. There are a lot of young kids playing today that would not be playing if the Coyotes weren&rsquo;t here.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Just as encouraging is the comeback at the box office by the Coyotes, where crowds are growing as the ownership situation solidifies, the relocation rumors subside, and the team makes a serious push for the playoffs. </p>
<p>On Arizona&rsquo;s most prominent hockey rink, a true home ice advantage is rapidly returning. And that&rsquo;s a good thing that can be felt at hockey rinks all over the state.</p>
<p><em>Jess Myers is a contributing editor to InsideCollegeHockey.com.</em></p>
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<a href="/issue/2010-03">2010-03</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-03/coyote-crossing#commentsArizonaDavid SpinaJeremy RoenickKeith TkachukNikolai KhabibulinNTDPPeter MuellerPhoenix CoyotesFeatureWed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:43 +0000admin2301 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comPeter Muellerhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/peter-mueller
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#3 - Center - Phoenix Coyotes </div>
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<a href="/author/jeff-hoodzow">Jeff Hoodzow</a> </div>
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<h3><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0804-qa-Peter-Mueller-3.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="400" /></span><br /></h3>
<h3>Pregame</h3>
<p><strong>How do you mentally prepare for a game?</strong><br />I try to get a good pregame meal and then get a couple of hours of rest.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your warm up routine?</strong><br />I&rsquo;m kind of low key. I try to get a couple of sticks ready; maybe go into the hall and play the soccer game.</p>
<p><strong>Do you listen to music to get ready? If so, who?</strong><br />I listen to just about everything, country, rock. I listen to a lot of Pearl Jam.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite music during warm ups?</strong><br />Rock, especially Pearl Jam.</p>
<p><strong>What kind of food do you eat before a game?</strong><br />Pasta and chicken. The usuals.<br /><strong><br />Do you have any superstitions?</strong><br />I always put on the right side of my equipment first.</p>
<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.net/sites/default/files/images/0804-qa-Peter-Mueller-1.img_assist_custom-300x357.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-300x357 " width="300" height="357" /></span>Main Event</h3>
<p><strong>When did you start playing hockey?</strong><br />I started playing when I was 4.</p>
<p><strong>Who was your favorite coach growing up?</strong><br />When I was younger, it was Coach Lauer. He&rsquo;s the one that introduced me to playing offense, but now, it&rsquo;s Wayne (Gretzky). It&rsquo;s pretty surreal.</p>
<p><strong>What other sports did you play growing up?</strong><br />Football, baseball, basketball. Just about everything.<br /><strong><br />How important is it to play other sports?</strong><br />It&rsquo;s what kids want to do. As long as they are having fun, that&rsquo;s all that matters.<br /><strong><br />What advice do you have for young players?</strong><br />Never say never. Follow your dreams. Always have a smile on your face.<br /><strong><br />Do you think about playing for Team USA in Vancouver?</strong><br />It&rsquo;s pretty exciting. We have a couple of young Americans in the league right now. That&rsquo;s coming around the corner, but I&rsquo;m trying not to think about it too much.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s the toughest player to play against? </strong><br />They&rsquo;re all tough. I don&rsquo;t really have one. You can&rsquo;t really single out anyone.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s the toughest goalie to score on?</strong><br />Marty Turco (of the Dallas Stars)</p>
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<p><strong>Do you like the shootout?</strong><br />No, I love it.</p>
<p><strong>How often do you practice shootout moves?</strong><br />I try to go out there and try different moves. It&rsquo;s exciting for us and exciting for the fans. I think it&rsquo;s a great way to show people the talent and skills of the players.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your best shootout move?</strong><br />Can&rsquo;t say. Can&rsquo;t give it away.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s your best friend in hockey?</strong><br />Jack Johnson (of the Los Angeles Kings)</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s the person you&rsquo;d most like to meet (in or out of hockey)?</strong><br />Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam</p>
<p><strong>Who was your favorite player growing up?</strong><br />Wayne Gretzky</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite city to play in?</strong><br />Minneapolis </p>
<p><strong>What would you do if you had two days off during the season?</strong><br />Wow. I would probably try to relax, maybe play some golf and fish.</p>
<p><strong>What is the best advice you ever got?</strong><br />Just always have fun out there. It&rsquo;s tough sometimes, getting caught up in the politics of it all, but I just try to have some fun.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite food?</strong><br />Steak and potatoes</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite TV show?</strong><br />Prison Break</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your all-time favorite movie?</strong><br />Slap Shot</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your most memorable hockey moment?</strong><br />Playing in the NHL and playing for team USA when I was younger.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s your favorite band?</strong><br />Pearl Jam</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s the best concert you&rsquo;ve ever been to?</strong><br />Audioslave in Washington</p>
<p><strong>What was your first job?</strong><br />Hockey director in a hockey store.</p>
<p><strong>What do you want to do after hockey?</strong><br />Coach. Help out kids. Do something with kids.</p>
<h3>In the Bag</h3>
<p><strong>Skates:</strong> CCM <br /><strong>Stick:</strong> Warrior <br /><strong>Helmet:</strong>&nbsp;RBK<br /><strong>Gloves:&nbsp;</strong>Warrior</p>
<h6>photo by Getty Images</h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2008-04">2008-04</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/peter-mueller#commentsPeter MuellerPhoenix CoyotesQ&AQ & AThu, 23 Jul 2009 15:51:53 +00001155 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.comKevin Porterhttp://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/kevin-porter
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By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/jeff-hoodzow">Jeff Hoodzow</a> </div>
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<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0812-Kevin-Porter-3pounds.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="349" /></span></p>
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<h3>Pregame</h3>
<p><strong>How do you mentally prepare for a game? </strong><br />I think about what I&rsquo;m going to do when I get on the ice, when I get the puck and try to give myself a positive image.<br /><strong><br />Do you listen to music to get ready? If so, who?</strong><br />Not really. I don&rsquo;t even think my iPod has any songs in it.<br /><strong><br />Who controls the locker room music?</strong><br />It&rsquo;s usually a couple of different guys. Daniel Carcillo, Todd Fedoruk and Brian McGrattan come to mind.<br /><strong><br />Do you have any superstitions? </strong><br />Not really, but I usually put on all of my equipment on my left side first.<br /><strong><br />How do you unwind after a game?</strong><br />I try to get into the cold tub, maybe spend a little bit of time on the bike. When I get home, I usually get into bed and relax. Maybe watch a movie.</p>
<h3>Favorites</h3>
<p><strong>Who are the toughest players to defend?</strong><br />Alexander Ovechkin. He&rsquo;s so talented. I played against him at the World Juniors, and he&rsquo;s just amazing.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s the toughest goalie to score on?</strong><br />Miikka Kiprusoff. I just played against him for the first time, and he&rsquo;s tough to get a good shot on.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your best shootout move? </strong><br />I&rsquo;m not much of a deker. I&rsquo;m a lefty so I <br />usually try to go low to the blocker side.</p>
<p><strong>Who&rsquo;s your best friend in hockey? </strong><br />I have a few, but I would have to say Chad Kolarik, who&rsquo;s playing in San Antonio.<br />Who&rsquo;s the person you&rsquo;d most like to meet (in or out of hockey)? I would say Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite city to play in?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong> <br />Being from Detroit, I&rsquo;d say that&rsquo;s my favorite place to play. I haven&rsquo;t played there yet as a pro, but it&rsquo;s going to be fun to play in front of my family and friends.</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your most memorable hockey moment?</strong> <br />Making it to the Frozen Four last year. We were a young team, and we weren&rsquo;t supposed to advance.</p>
<p><strong>What is your favorite pastime during the offseason? </strong><br />I just try to relax. I have to skate and work out, but I like to watch a lot of movies.</p>
<p><strong>Who was your favorite player to watch when you were growing up? </strong><br />I would say probably Pavel Bure and Mike Modano.</p>
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<h2>"Being from Detroit, I&rsquo;d say that&rsquo;s my favorite place to play."<br /></h2>
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<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite all-time hockey movie? </strong><br />Slap Shot</p>
<p><strong>How about your all-time favorite movie?&nbsp;</strong> <br />The Rock</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite food?&nbsp; </strong><br />Grilled chicken</p>
<p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite TV show?&nbsp; </strong><br />Entourage</p>
<p><strong>Favorite concert?&nbsp; </strong><br />Dave Matthews</p>
<p><strong>Favorite book?&nbsp; </strong><br />I don&rsquo;t have one favorite.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.org/sites/default/files/images/0812-Kevin-Porter-2.jpg" alt="After winning the Hobey Baker Award and leading the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four in 2008, Kevin Porter is making his mark in the NHL." title="After winning the Hobey Baker Award and leading the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four in 2008, Kevin Porter is making his mark in the NHL." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="349" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">After winning the Hobey Baker Award and leading the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four in 2008, Kevin Porter is making his mark in the NHL.</span></span></strong></p>
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<h3>Odds &amp; Ends</h3>
<p><strong>What ride at an amusement park best suits your personality?</strong><br />Probably something calm and relaxing. Not a lot of twists and turns for me.</p>
<p><strong>How often do you get recognized in public?&nbsp; </strong><br />Not often, really. Maybe if I&rsquo;m in Ann Arbor, I might, but that&rsquo;s usually reserved for the football players.</p>
<p><strong>Do you collect memorabilia from your playing career? If so, what&rsquo;s your most prized possession?</strong><br />I don&rsquo;t, but my parents have a few things from when I was younger and when I got drafted.</p>
<p><strong>Where do you keep your Hobey Baker trophy?</strong><br />My dad actually has it, along with a couple of other trophies I picked up when I was at Michigan.</p>
<p><strong>What was your first job?</strong><br />A hockey instructor for USA Hockey&rsquo;s instructional camp.</p>
<p><strong>What do you want to do after hockey?</strong><br />Probably stay in hockey and coach. My brother is a lawyer, so maybe do some advising for him.</p>
<h3>In the Bag</h3>
<p><strong>Skates:</strong> Bauer<br /><strong>Stick:</strong> Easton<br /><strong>Helmet:</strong> Bauer<br /><strong>Gloves:</strong>&nbsp; Bauer</p>
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<h6>Photos - Getty Images<br /></h6>
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Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2008-12">2008-12</a> </div>
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http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-12/kevin-porter#commentsKevin PorterMichiganPhoenix CoyotesQ & AThu, 16 Jul 2009 20:37:00 +0000867 at http://www.usahockeymagazine.com